Michigan's First MRI Full-Body Screening Center

No. MRI emits zero radiation and is not the same as a CT scan that uses ionizing radiation. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a powerful medical tool that creates incredibly detailed pictures of the inside of your body – your organs, bones, muscles, and more. Think of it as a super-powered camera that uses magnets and radio waves instead of X-rays, making it a safe and gentle way to see what's happening inside.

A  diagnostic MRI is a dedicated MRI of a specific area. It's used when a patient has symptoms or a known health concern. The goal is to identify the cause of these issues and guide treatment decisions. Think of a diagnostic MRI as a high-resolution close-up photo of a specific body part, ordered by your doctor for detailed diagnosis and treatment planning. In contrast, a full-body MRI "screening" does not require a referral from your doctor, and it is like a wide-angle panorama of your entire body, offering a broad health overview. It is performed on individuals without symptoms. It is for proactive health management. The aim is to detect potential problems early, often before they cause symptoms. It uses thicker image slices for a faster scan but doesn't replace the pinpoint accuracy of a diagnostic MRI. The strength of a screening lies in potentially detecting abnormalities early across multiple regions.

The full body MRI scans from the top of the head through the pelvis. It does not include the arms or legs, which becomes time and cost prohibitive, and the overwhelming majority of patients' concerns are happening in the head, neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis and spine. It images all the major organs -- brain, lungs, heart, stomach, bowel, spleen, liver, pancreas, kidneys, gallbladder and reproductive organs. It evaluates the sinuses, nasal pharynx, oral pharynx, hypopharynx, thyroid, cervical lymph node chain, lungs and mediastinum, heart, esophagus, stomach, adrenals, bladder, spine, shoulders, and hips. This does not evaluate the heart for coronary artery disease, nor the intricate architecture of the lung. See the additional FAQs below for more.

No. This does not replace any preventative, routine screening that is available through your doctor (e.g. colonoscopy, dedicated breast imaging, Pap-smear screening for cervical cancer, low-dose chest CT for high risk patients). A full body screening is a tool in addition to the routine screenings that your doctor orders. This is not a replacement. Routine screenings ordered by physicians detect about 29% of cancers with 71% occurring in areas not routinely screened. This is why a full body MRI screening is incredibly valuable. It screens all the major organs and soft tissues from the top of the head through the pelvis and can detect abnormalities in areas not routinely screened like the pancreas, brain, liver, chest, etc.

No. This does not replace any preventative, routine screening that is available through your doctor and does not replace dedicated breast imaging for screening or diagnostic evaluation (e.g. mammography, breast ultrasound, breast MRI with contrast). 

No. Our screenings are limited in the evaluation of the gastrointestinal tract and do not replace a colonoscopy or endoscopy. 

No. Our screenings cannot detect colon polyps. 

The screening of the chest does image the heart and lungs, however, it is limited. MRI does not evaluate the heart for coronary artery disease. This is done by CT scanning which can give you a calcium scoring for plaque buildup and is not a part of this examination. If you are a smoker or former smoker concerned about your lungs, then our screening is not the appropriate test for your lung concerns. You should get a chest CT scan, which can be ordered through your physician. MRI cannot evaluate the really small architecture of the lung or pulmonary micronodules because of the motion that occurs with breathing; however, MRI will detect abnormalities of the hilum which is the area behind the heart where tumors or lymph node enlargement can be seen. Above the heart is an area called the mediastinum. This area is evaluated well. It is a common place for a malignancy to begin.

No. Contrast is not used for any of our full body screening packages. There are no injections given for this test.

Yes, our MRI machine is considered an open MRI, however, it isn't a "true" open MRI that you picture resembling a hamburger bun with a top and bottom and no sides. Our MRI is a Siemens Magetom Aera 1.5T.  It is a "wide-bore" MRI, which is much wider than a traditional MRI allowing for more shoulder room and is farther from your face when lying on your back. It is still a tube, but it is open on both ends. It can hold individuals up to 550 pounds, so it is larger with more room. This makes it much more comfortable for people who experience claustrophobia compared to the smaller, traditional MRI machines.

No. There is no doctor referral required for a full body screening at Bionicc Body Screening. You are in the driver's seat and in control. You order your own MRI screening by making an appointment.  If you are looking for a dedicated MRI scan of a specific body part, then that does require a doctor's referral. Our facility offers dedicated MRI scans through a different department.

No. Lipomas are not detected through this screening. The screening does not evaluate the skin, so if the lipoma is near the surface of the skin, then it won't be seen. If the lipoma is in the body or organs, then those can be very difficult to distinguish between body fat, especially in individuals who have a larger storage of fat. Skin is best assessed by direct physical examination through a physician.

Scanning the extremities becomes time and cost prohibitive and most concerns that we hear involve the areas that our screenings cover. For example, our full body screening images your major organs like the pancreas, liver, kidneys and brain for abnormalities or tumors. It scans the body from the top of the head through the pelvis and covers the head, neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis and spine. If someone was experiencing trouble or pain in their knees, ankles, wrists or elbows, then other tests would be more appropriate like a dedicated MRI ordered through their physician. 

This is an elective, proactive and preventative screening and insurance does not participate. This is an out of pocket investment in one's health. 

Yes, financing is available. We have partnered with CareCredit to offer no interest financing. You can pre-qualify at CareCredit without impacting your credit score. Notify our office after you are pre-qualified and schedule your full body MRI appointment. Call 1-833-Bionicc.

No. We do not do CT scans at our facility. 

Oral sedation is not available for severely claustrophobic patients. If you are claustrophobic or highly anxious at the thought of entering an MRI machine, then we highly recommend that you ask your doctor to prescribe a light sedative, or choose to take your own sedative if you have a prescription. Please have someone with you to drive you if you take a sedative.

A local, board certified radiologist with 25+ years of experience reads the full body MRI scans.

Results are returned to us within 2 to 3 weeks.

When our facility gets the results you will get a phone call from a qualified member of our medical team. This may be a physician or a nurse practitioner, and they will discuss your results on the phone and explain the report. They do not replace your primary care physician and it is highly recommended that you share your findings with your healthcare provider. 

Yes. You will be mailed a copy of your MRI report and a DVD with all of your images to keep. You can share this with your doctor and other healthcare providers.

No. We do not offer services if you have a pacemaker. Nor can we offer services if you have vagus nerve stimulators, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, loop recorders, insulin pumps, cochlear implants, deep brain stimulators, and capsules from capsule endoscopy. 

Certain Inspire devices are MRI compatible, however, there are very specific guidelines that need to be followed, and therefore, we cannot offer MRI services to any person with this implanted device.